My Second Half
by Letyourmindsoar
Summary: Ryoma is only one half of a whole, and that changes everything. HIATUS!
1. Chapter 1

A/N: I DO NOT OWN PRINCE OF TENNIS!!!!

Okay, well, I wrote this because I DESPERATELY needed to get away from my homework. I also needed to get this story out of my head. Please review!!

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A shadow loomed over the sleeping figure of Echizen Ryoma and said, "Tch. Sleeping are you? You're going to miss practice, and Tezuka-buchou will definitely punish you." The person smirked. "Fine, I'll fill in your spot. You owe me one." The person took Ryoma's tennis bag and changed into his clothes. Then, the person took Ryoma's hat and tucked their hair into it. Now, the person looked exactly like Ryoma.

_**After Practice**_

"Oi! Echizen! Let's go grab some burgers!" Momo shouted.

The person froze mid-step. The person was just on their way to go wake up the real Ryoma. This could be very, very bad. _Oh, crap! I can't eat with him! I don't have nearly as big an appetite as Ryoma! Voice and actions, fine, but I definitely can't imitate his eating habits! _The person pulled down their hat. They said in Ryoma's voice, "I'm busy. Leave me alone."

"Eh?! You never refuse to go eat! What's wrong, Echizen?" Momo said, approaching Ryoma.

"Nothing," the person said. They began to walk away but got caught in a headlock by none other than Momo. "Let go."

"Come on, Echizen! Tell me what's up!" Momo whined.

Then, out of the blue, the real Ryoma showed up. He stood right in front of them and stared. He looked at Momo, who held a person in a headlock. He looked at the person in the headlock, who looked exactly like him. He was confused for about a second, but a look of understanding crossed his face. "Arigatou. You saved me from who-knows-how-many laps." Ryoma said to the person.

"Aa. Now, will you _please_ help me?" The person said in the same voice as Ryoma. In their mind, they thought to Ryoma, _Yo. Finally awake?_

"Momo-chan-senpai, let go." Ryoma said. He thought back, _Aa. You want lunch, huh? _

"Huh? There are TWO Echizens? How? Since when?" Momo asked, immediately letting go of the person in his headlock.

_Crap! This could be bad. _The person thought to Ryoma as they walked over to him. They handed Ryoma his tennis bag.

_Aa._ Ryoma thought back. "Momo-chan-senpai, ja ne." He began walking away, dragging the person with him.

"Oi! Matte! Echizens! I want to know what's going on!" Momo shouted after them. Seeing that they wouldn't stop, he slumped to the ground.

"What happened, Momo?" A voice asked from behind him.

"Ahh!" Momo fell over. "Oh, Fuji-senpai, it's you!"

"Aa. Did something happen?" Fuji asked.

"Aa! There were TWO Echizens! TWO!" Momo replied as he stood up.

"Eh? There were TWO Echizens?" Inui asked. "Data…" He scribbled away.

"Momo, could you please explain?" Fuji asked.

"Aa. Well, this is what happened…" Momo began to explain what happened.

_**Meanwhile**_

"Tch. I thought we were going to be found out, but then you just walk away." The person said.

Ryoma smirked. "Can I have my hat back?"

"Aa." The person replied and took off the hat. Dark green, almost black hair fell out of it. The shortest layers were chin-length while the longest were shoulder-length. It was obvious, now, that there was only one Ryoma. The person standing next to him was a girl. "Happy, o~nii~chan?"

"Tch. Don't call me by that. We don't know who's the older twin. Baka oyaji won't tell us." Ryoma said, placing the cap back on his own head.

"Gomen." She laughed. "So, let's go grab some burgers, ne?"

"Aa." Ryoma replied. Then, he thought to her, _Hazuki, someone's watching us._

_Aa, you noticed?_ She thought back.

"Tch," Ryoma said out loud.

They began walking away, ignoring the fact that they were being watched. As long as it wasn't Inui, then it was fine. Since they couldn't hear scribbling, they concluded that it wasn't Inui. It couldn't be that bad, right?

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A/N: So? What do you think? Is it worth continuing?

Oh, and Seigaku is a high school. So, Ryoma and Hazuki are 15, Momo and Kaidou are 16, and the rest of the regulars are 17.

Also, I need suggestions on who I should pair Ryoma with.  
1. Fuji  
2. Tezuka  
3. Other (please specify)


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: I DO NOT OWN PRINCE OF TENNIS!

Okay. I've had a _lot_ of homework recently, so I haven't had much time. I was also on a writer's block of some sort. How I got those one-shots out, I don't know. This next chapter may sound somewhat rushed, but I needed to get to certain parts. Please enjoy! Reviews are nice too!

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It was an uneventful morning practice of the Seigaku men's tennis team. The first years were doing endurance training. The second and third years were playing practice matches. The regulars were going through hell— Inui's practice menu. Fortunately, it was a cool morning, and there was a slight breeze. All in all, it was a nice, peaceful day. Yes, a peaceful day, until a certain someone showed up. Then, calm was thrown out the window, and chaos begun.

"Good morning. My name is Echizen. Please let me be your manager!" Hazuki bowed to Tezuka.

Everyone was shocked. How could they not be? After all, Hazuki was pretending to be Ryoma again. She wore his clothes and one of his hats, which covered her hair. She also had a tennis bag that was similar to Ryoma's. She even introduced herself as 'Echizen;' Ryoma, however, was right there! He didn't have a brother, did he?  
"Our manager?" Tezuka repeated. He was slightly surprised. It wasn't every day that someone who looked exactly like one of your subordinates came up to you with a request.

"Yes. You may have noticed that Sorishi Gakuen's women's tennis team has improved a lot. That is because I used to be their manager." Hazuki said.

"It's true, Tezuka. I walked by Sorishi Gakuen the other day. All of the members were much better than the last time I had seen them." Inui had approached them from behind Tezuka, He held his green notebook in his hand.

"I am sure that I'm capable of being a co-manager with Inui-senpai." Hazuki said.

"How did you know that I was the manager? It's only been a week." Inui said. His glasses glinted, and his notebook was open.

Hazuki smirked, but only her lips were seen. The brim of her hat covered her eyes. "Well, if I demonstrate good tennis abilities, will you consider it?"

At this Tezuka raised an eyebrow. This person seemed to have the same personality as Ryoma too, just politer. If their tennis skills were the same, then this person would be a great asset to the team. Tezuka inwardly debated with himself on whether or not to accept this deal. Then, suddenly, Ryuuzaki approached the three of them. "Let's see what you got then. You say your name is Echizen?"

"Hai, Ryuuzaki-sensei!" Hazuki answered, bowing.

Ryuuzaki smiled. "Oi! Ryoma! You're going to play a match against our possible manager!"

"Hai!" Ryoma said. _So, you're actually going to become our manager?_

"Thank you for giving me this chance!" Hazuki began to prepare herself for the match against her twin. _Of course, what could be more entertaining than this?_

"Tch." Ryoma said out loud. Everyone looked at him. What, or who, was he making that sound at?

_Nice going, Ryoma. Everyone stopped and became silent to watch us. Don't just switch to verbal speaking so suddenly!_ Hazuki scolded, teasingly.

Ryoma glared at her from under the brim of his hat. Hazuki smirked back from under hers. The two stood on opposite sides of the net. Ryoma asked, "Rough or smooth?"

"Rough." Hazuki replied, and it landed in her favor. "Your serve." The two walked to their respective places. Ryoma was about to throw the ball into the air when there was an exclamation.

"There are_ two_ Echizen's again!" Momo's loud voice attracted everyone's attention.

"Saa, Momo, is this the second Echizen you mentioned before?" Fuji asked.

"Hai! It's definitely that person!" Momo replied

"Data…" Inui muttered.

"Quiet! Kawamura, be the referee. This will be a one-game match." Tezuka ordered. His deep voice cut through their conversation, silencing them.

"Hai!" Kawamura said. He went to sit in the referee's chair.

"Wait! Echizen number two! What's your real name? It will be too confusing if we call both of you 'Echizen!'" Momo shouted.

"Echizen _is_ my real name! How rude!" Hazuki replied back. _You said he was loud, but I didn't think he was _this_ loud. Is he always like this? _

_Aa,_ Ryoma thought back. With his right hand, he sent a Twist Serve towards Hazuki.

"Twist Serve!" The freshmen trio shouted.

Hazuki smirked. She returned it with her right hand with ease. The two had constantly played against each other since they were young. They were both used to the other's style and technique, which were practically the same anyway. They had been taught by the same person, their father, so similarity was a given. However, they both knew that Ryoma was the stronger one. His passion for tennis was stronger, even if he'd never admit it.

"Look! Their rally is amazing!" A second year shouted.

_You want the point? _Hazuki thought to Ryoma.

_I don't care. _Ryoma thought back.

_I should've known. _Hazuki lobbed the ball.

Hazuki made it look like an accident, so no one would suspect anything. However, the third year regulars and Ryuuzaki-sensei noticed. They wondered why she would lob the ball on purpose. Only Fuji could counter a smash, so that lob was basically giving the point to Ryoma. Unless he had some sort of plan, then he would smash it, which he did. Kawamura called out, "Fifteen love! Echizen leads! Ah, wait, I mean, Echizen Ryoma leads!"

"So, what's your opinion, Tezuka?" Ryuuzaki-sensei asked.

"It's very possible," Tezuka replied.

Ryuuzaki-sensei laughed. "I approve. Having two people at Ryoma's level won't hurt us at all." She walked into the court. "The position of manager is open to you, Echizen."

Hazuki smiled and bowed. "Thank you very much, Ryuuzaki-sensei."

"Now, why don't you introduce yourself?" Ryuuzaki-sensei asked.

"Hai! I am…" She paused and hopped over the net. She walked over to Ryoma and hugged him around the waist. He made no move to stop her. "…Ryoma's twin, Echizen Hazuki."

To prove her point, Ryoma pulled off her hat. Shoulder-length hair fell down. It was the same color as Ryoma's. Hazuki's eyes were revealed as well, and they also matched Ryoma's. They really were twins. The only difference was that Hazuki had slightly more delicate features. That was to be expected though, since she _was_ a girl. It was now obvious that _she_ was not a _he, _which was the original belief. Everyone was silent as they took in the information. The only one who wasn't shocked was Ryuuzaki-sensei. She had suspected this from the beginning; she knew about Hazuki, after all. Then, the silence was broken. Everyone, excluding Tezuka of course, shouted, "Eh?!"

Hazuki pulled her arms from Ryoma's waist to cover her ears. It didn't help much. Seigaku's men's tennis team was abnormally loud. Ryoma had told her that, and she was now experiencing it herself. She mentally cursed, and Ryoma smirked. "Quiet!" Tezuka shouted. Everyone instantly obeyed his command. "Back to practice! Regulars will be doing endurance training!"

"Hai!" Everyone answered, and they went off to fulfill their orders.

"Tch," Ryoma said as he walked off. Hazuki laughed.

Hazuki went over to the first years and watched them swing their rackets. She began correcting their stances. She gave them tips as well. Then, she went over to the second years. They all eyed her somewhat warily but still heeded her advice. Next, Hazuki went over to the third years. She had no problems until a single third year retorted back, "You're just a freshman! Why should I listen to you?"

"I'm the new manager, that's why." Hazuki raised her eyebrow.

"You're Echizen's twin. You two probably staged it." He said.

"You _saw_ our match. Did it _look_ staged to you?" Hazuki retorted.

"Well, no, but—"

"Then?" When she received no answer, Hazuki smirked. "Or is it your pride?"

"Why you—" He raised his fist.

"You're going to hit a first year _girl_? I guess I was wrong. You have no pride."

He pulled back his fist. _Hazuki!_

_

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_

A/N: So? What did you think? I'm working on the third chapter right now, so don't worry. It's coming soon!


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: PRINCE OF TENNIS IS NOT MINE!

I'm procrastinating on my schoolwork again. I couldn't think at all! So, I ended up finishing the third chapter. I hope this length is more satisfiable.

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Everything seemed to move in slow motion. The third year was closing the distance between his fist and Hazuki's face. Everyone had turned to watch. Ryoma had thrown a ball up into the air. He jumped up to meet the ball and hit a fast, powerful serve. As the fist was inches away, the ball was flying towards them. The fist was centimeters away, and so was the ball. The fist connected with Hazuki's face, and the ball connected with the third year's fist.

The ball forced the third year's fist away. The third year lost his balance and fell. He cursed loudly. He looked up and glared at Hazuki. She didn't notice him at all; she was preoccupied with her cheek. Using three fingers, she gingerly pressed down on her left cheekbone, where she had been hit. She winced slightly. It wouldn't bruise, but it would still be a little store. "Hazuki!"

The third year looked past Hazuki, and Hazuki turned around. Ryoma jogged over to them. Ryoma lifted up his hand and gently pushed on her cheekbone with his thumb. She winced again, and Ryoma didn't miss it. _Does it hurt much?_

_No. I'm fine. Thank you,_ Hazuki thought.

Ryoma didn't think anything back. He just nodded and turned to glare at the third year. The third year could've _sworn_ that there were flames in Ryoma's eyes. In fact, he even could've said that flames were all around Ryoma. Ryoma was _that_ furious. After all, _no one_ hurt _his_ twin without getting _any_ punishment. Hazuki mentally laughed. _You're starting to sound like Fuji-senpai, overprotective o~nii~chan!_

_Shut up,_ Ryoma thought back.

"Hayashi, Echizen, twenty laps for disrupting practice. Now!" Tezuka's voice broke the silence.

"Tch," Ryoma said. He handed Hazuki his racket and began his laps.

"I'm going to get you for this." The third year glared at Hazuki over his shoulder.

"I'd like to see you try," Hazuki replied. She smirked and tapped Ryoma's racket on her left shoulder. "You're so mada mada, after all."

The third year's glare seemed to intensify, but to Hazuki, it wasn't much of a glare at all. She knew that both her glare and her twin's were more intense. She rolled her eyes. Hazuki eyed the racket in her hand before walking over to Ryoma's bag. She put the racket away and went to join her twin. He had already finished two laps, but that was fine with her. She'd still finish before the third year.

Tezuka watched the twins run together. When he said 'Echizen,' he meant only Ryoma. After all, it was originally the third year's fault for disobeying their new manager. It wasn't Hazuki's fault whatsoever. However, he had no plans to stop her. He wanted to see if her stamina was the same as her twin's. Once they both finished, the captain found that it was. He approached the two as they drank from their water bottles. "Echizen."

"Hai?" Two voices answered him, and two pairs of eyes looked at him.

Tezuka blinked a few times. Then, he mentally smacked himself on the forehead. They had the same surname. _Of course _both of them would react if someone called out 'Echizen.' Although Tezuka didn't wear his emotions on his face, Hazuki had a grasp of what was going through his head. Ryoma, being impossibly dense, didn't. So, Hazuki decided to enlighten him. "You can call me Hazuki, if it'd make it easier."

At this, a look of realization spread across Ryoma's features. He mentally chuckled. Having Hazuki as their manager would be entertaining after all. He smirked and said, "Mada mada dane." He walked away to join the rest of the regulars, who were still enduring hell— doing their endurance training.

"Aa." Tezuka paused as he gathered his thoughts. "Do you play tennis with Echizen often?"

"Hai," Hazuki answered, though she raised an eyebrow. She wondered what he was getting at. _Oi, Ryoma, what do you think Buchou wants?_

There was no answer. She was about to repeat her question when Ryoma thought, _I don't know. I'm using your ears._

"Tch," Hazuki said out loud.

"Pardon?" Tezuka asked. It was now his turn to raise an eyebrow.

"Ah! Sorry! That wasn't directed towards you!" Hazuki said, nodded her head in apology.

_Don't just switch—, _Ryoma was cut off.

_Shut up!_ Hazuki then said, "Was there anything else you wanted, Buchou?"

"No. I just wanted confirmation," Tezuka said.

"Confirmation of what?" Hazuki asked.

"Your tennis style is extremely similar to your twin's, who's similar to your father. Correct me if I'm wrong." Tezuka said.

_I'm similar to that perverted, baka oyaji?_ Ryoma mentally exclaimed.

_Oi, are you going to let me finish this conversation?_ Hazuki thought.

_Whatever,_ Ryoma thought back.

"You're probably right. 'Tou-san has been coaching us since we could walk. I, personally, have never had as much passion as Ryoma, though." Hazuki paused to put barriers around her mind. That way, Ryoma wouldn't be able to get into her mind. She knew he'd probably confront her about it later, but this next part wasn't something he needed to hear. "Plus, Ryoma just doesn't know about his potential. In fact, he probably doesn't even know he loves tennis. After all, tennis has always been there. 'If you want to know the grief for a lost loved one, lose one.' That's how the saying goes, ne?"

Tezuka was surprised. He thought he'd been the only one to notice Ryoma's situation, but he actually wasn't. Who knew that _Tezuka_ would actually get something wrong? He didn't really know what to say now. So, he settled for, "Aa."

Hazuki smiled and bowed to the captain. She walked towards Ryoma, who looked annoyed. Tezuka just stood there and watched the twins. It was certainly strange. After all, they were extremely similar, but they were also very, very different. Their tennis styles, for one, were practically carbon copies of each other. However, Hazuki was exceptionally observant, and Ryoma probably wouldn't be able to notice anything until it was right in front of him. Tezuka absentmindedly pinched the bridge of his nose. Having twins on his team was going to give him a lot more migraines.

**_End of Afternoon Practice_**

"Oi! Echizen! Want to go for burgers with me and Eiji-senpai?" Momo called out.

Ryoma looked at Hazuki, who was walking next to him. She shrugged. She didn't really care. She wasn't that hungry, but she wouldn't mind free food. They stopped walking to wait for their senpai-tachi. Ryoma said, "Your treat, Momo-senpai."

"Eh? I always pay!" Momo exclaimed as they caught up to the freshmen. Eiji proceeded to glomp Hazuki, since she was much nicer about it.

"Senpai should be nice to their kouhai," Ryoma retorted.

"I'll pay for Chibi-chan because she's cute, nya!" Eiji exclaimed.

If this were an anime, you would see large drops of sweat on their foreheads. This is not an anime, though. So, you'll just have to use your imagination. Moving along, Hazuki asked in confusion, "Why am I 'Chibi-chan?"

"Mou, I just said! You're cute just like Ochibi, but I can't call both of you Ochibi! So, it's Chibi-chan!" Eiji explained. Or well, that was his intention. It didn't really explain anything at all.

Hazuki rolled her eyes. "Anyway, I can't walk with you hanging all over me."

"Sorry Chibi-chan, nya!" Eiji let go.

_Why does he let go of you so easily?_ Ryoma thought, somewhat annoyed.

_Well, if you _asked,Hazuki trailed off. She knew he would get her point.

"Shoot," Momo said.

"What?" The other three asked in unison.

"I just realized that I take Echizen everyday to school," Momo said.

Again, if this were an anime, everyone would've fallen to the floor. Their feet would be all that you could see. Again, this isn't, so use your imagination. Trying to ignore what could be Momo's dumbest moment ever, Hazuki said, "Are you just realizing that? Please say no."

"Don't look at me like I'm stupid! I meant to ask who's going to take _you_ to school?" Momo said. He directed this towards Hazuki.

"Eh? Me? I can walk by myself," Hazuki said. _Momo-senpai is unbelievably slow. _The only reaction she got mentally was an image of Ryoma smirking. Then, she turned her attention back to Momo.

Momo shook his head. "I take Echizen to school everyday. That's not fair for you. That's not fair at all."

"He's right Chibi-chan! Ochibi rides Momo's bike all the time! He would be a bad and mean senpai if he made you walk all the time, nya!" Eiji said. He latched once more onto Hazuki.

"This is stupid. Ryoma will ride in the morning, and I'll ride in the afternoon. Fair enough?" Hazuki said. She rolled her eyes again. She honestly didn't care.

"Oh! That sounds like a good idea!" Momo exclaimed.

The twins began walking away. Their senpai called out to them, asking them to wait. They smirked and said in unison, "Mada mada dane!"

**_At the fast food restaurant_**

"Echizen…" Momo sighed for the umpteenth time.

Ryoma was thoroughly annoyed. They had figured it out that he didn't mean Hazuki after the second time. So, Ryoma was left to listen to Momo while Hazuki nonchalantly tuned out Eiji. He almost preferred listening to Eiji because all Momo did was say his name and sigh. Ryoma asked for the umpteenth time, "What?"

"You're going to leave me broke! You always eat so much!" Momo finally said something other than his kouhai's surname.

"You eat a lot too, nya!" Eiji pointed out.

"Well, I'm obviously going to pay for my own food, but I can't always pay for his!" Momo exclaimed.

Eiji grinned. The others mentally wondered if it was even _possible_ to have a smile that big. "I made a good choice by paying for Chibi-chan, nya! All she had were fries and a milkshake!"

"I don't eat fast food a lot," Hazuki explained.

"Tch," Ryoma said. He was sitting beside her.

"Well, thanks for the food, Eiji-senpai, but I'll be taking my leave." Hazuki stood up and threw away her trash.

"Eh? You're leaving already?" Momo asked.

"Aa," Hazuki answered. "I want to go to the bookstore before it's too late. See you!" Hazuki left as the other said their farewells.

_Be careful_, Ryoma thought to her.

_Calm down. It's still bright out. No one's going to try to molest me. _Hazuki was already well on her way to the store as she thought that to her twin.

Hazuki reached the bookstore and went to find the book she wanted. She found it quickly, paid for it, and left. She was walking home when suddenly two men approached her. They seemed to be college students…or dropouts. Their faces were flushed, and their pupils were dilated. Their breath reeked of alcohol. Hazuki looked to the horizon. The sun was just setting. People shouldn't be getting drunk yet!

"Oi, sweetheart, want to have some fun?" One of the men said.

"No. Leave me alone!" Hazuki said coldly. She made to turn around and walk away.

"No, no! There will be none of that now!" The other man said. He grabbed her arm firmly.

"Let go!" Hazuki said. She tried to wrestle her arm out of his grip, but he was stronger than he looked.

"Aren't you feisty?" The first man said. He grinned. "That's just how we like them!"

"That's right!" The second said. He pulled on Hazuki's arm.

If Hazuki's reactions were any slower, she would've fallen against the two men. However, being the tennis player that she was, her reactions were quite swift. She was able to steady herself. She once again tried to get her arm out of that group but failed.

"Excuse me, but I have something to ask. What do you intend to do my little sister?" The one who called Hazuki his 'little sister' was _not_ Ryoma, and she didn't recognize him. Who was he?

* * *

A/N: I left everyone on another cliffhanger! Sorry! Please look forward to the next chapter! Reviews are always welcomed with open arms!


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: I DO NOT OWN PRINCE OF TENNIS

I. am. so. sorry. *throws self on floor in shame* I know I haven't updated in a _year_. It's just real life caught up to me......... That's really the only excuse I have. I apologize once again. Updates will _hopefully_ come faster in the future.

* * *

Chapter Four:

Hazuki was sure she had never seen this man before, but here he was calling her his 'little sister!' He had purple-colored hair, and Hazuki briefly wondered if it was naturally like that. He also wore glasses that reflected the light in such a way that his eyes could not be seen. He seemed to be about Tezuka's height. In fact, he even looked a little like Tezuka. Or, well, at least their body structures were somewhat similar. A voice broke her out of her reverie.

"Who are you?" The first man asked.

"That holds no relevance to the current situation." This mysterious man pushed his glasses up his nose. "Will you please let go of my little sister? I'm sure she is feeling quite uncomfortable."

"Tch! This is stupid! Let's go!" The second man released Hazuki's arm. He pushed her as he walked away.

Hazuki, not suspecting this at all, stumbled. The mysterious man caught her arm and helped her steady herself. He immediately released her arm as soon she was able to stand on her own. She looked up at him. He had just saved her from what could've been a bad situation. Hazuki inclined her head. "Thank you, but, eto, who _are _you?"

The man inclined his head in return. "Your welcome, and my name is Yagyuu Hiroshi."

"I'm Echizen Hazuki. Thank you, again, but why did help me?"

"I couldn't ignore the harassment of a young woman such as yourself. It would be exceedingly rude." Yagyuu replied.

"Oh," Hazuki paused. Yagyuu didn't exactly seem kind or caring, but he was a real gentleman. His formal manner and polite actions reminded her of their captain even more. She mentally laughed. If Yagyuu were a captain as well, then it would be _too _much of a coincidence. She shook her head in her mind. That train of thought could be finished later. There was still one more thing she needed to clear up. "Why did you call me your little sister?"

"It seemed to be the only plausible justification for my interruption," Yagyuu replied.

"Oh." Hazuki paused. She smiled at Yagyuu. "Well, thanks, once again, for helping me. I really should get going though, so see you." Hazuki turned to walk away but was stopped.

"Wait. Allow me to accompany you home. It's darker than before, and there are more chances of you being harassed." Yagyuu said.

"Oh, thank you." Hazuki smiled again.

The pair began walking. They spoke along the way and learned more about each other. The subject they kept straying back to, though, was tennis. That wasn't much of a surprise, since they were both tennis players. Neither, however, mentioned the school they attended. It was a mutual, unspoken agreement. They both reasoned that knowing would cause unnecessary rivalry and emotional turmoil. Fortunately, it didn't cause any issues, and they were at the Echizen residence in what seemed like minutes. Hazuki stopped at the gate and said, "Thank you for walking me home."

"It was my pleasure. I'll look forward to our next meeting. Hopefully, it will not be one where the situation is similar to today's." Yagyuu replied.

"Well, we could expedite that meeting." Hazuki smirked and took out a pen from her school bag. She took his hand and wrote her cell phone number on his palm. Underneath, she wrote her name in neat cursive. She turned, walking towards the door. She said, over her shoulder, "See you, Yagyuu-kun."

Yagyuu was bewildered. No person whether male or female he has _ever _met has done that before. Echizen Hazuki was, without doubt, a very interesting girl. The corners of his lips turned up. This was definitely going to be an out of the ordinary experience for him. He looked at Hazuki, who was opening the door, and said, "I'll be taking my leave then, Echizen-chan." He nodded and began walking away. As he did, he took out his cell phone and immediately put the number in. It'd be terrible to accidentally smear the ink before he had record of what she had written.

_Inside the Echizen house_

_Who was that boy? Why did he walk you home? I thought you said you were going to the _bookstore_!_ Ryoma mentally shouted. His arms were crossed, and he was standing right in front of her. There was no escape.

_Calm—,_ Hazuki was interrupted by her furious twin.

_I will not calm down! Tell me what happened now! _ Ryoma glared at her. He tapped his foot impatiently.

If Hazuki didn't have self-control, then she would've cringed. Being Ryoma's twin, she _did_ have self-control. So, she was able to calmly walk up the stairs and into Ryoma's room. The same could not be said for Ryoma; he _stormed_ up the stairs and slammed the door. He sat on the bed. His arms were still crossed. Hazuki said, "Promise not to interrupt?"

"No." Ryoma said, without hesitation.

Hazuki sighed. "I was on my way home from the bookstore when two drunk—"

"Two drunken men did _what?_ I thought I told you to _be careful!_" Ryoma shouted, unknowingly switching to verbal speech. He stood up. There were flames in his eyes again.

"Don't interrupt!" Hazuki scolded before continuing. "Besides, it was still daytime! It's not like anything happened. Yagyuu-kun saved me, and he offered to walk me home! That's all! There's no reason to shout!"

Ryoma paused. He took a deep breath to calm himself. He sat back down onto the bed. "Yagyuu-_kun_?"

"Yes, Yagyuu-kun," Hazuki said. She sat down next to her twin. They were both calmer.

_Do you like him?_ Ryoma asked mentally.

_I think so. He's such a gentleman. He's sort of like Tezuka-buchou._ Hazuki thought back.

_Buchou? Heh, _Ryoma smirked.

_Oh, shut up!_ Hazuki punched his shoulder playfully. After all, she didn't like the Seigaku captain. Sure, he was a good-looking guy and a great tennis player, but she could already see him as nothing more than an elder brother. Or a young uncle, he did act much older than his age. She shook her head. She could contemplate her platonic relationship with their captain later. _What about you? _Ryoma looked at her. He was confused. She shook her head. He could be so dense at times. _I mean do you like anyone?_

_No, _Ryoma thought. He didn't take any time to consider it.

_Are you sure? What about the girl with the pigtails? Her name is Ryuuzaki, right? _Hazuki asked.

_Her hair is too long, and she's pointless with a racket_. Ryoma was merciless with his critique.

Hazuki laughed. _Do you, perhaps, lean the _other_ way?_ Again, Ryoma looked at her with a confused expression. It really got annoying that her twin was so dense. _I meant are you homosexual?_

Ryoma's eyes widened. _I'm not a homo!_

_What's wrong with being one?_ Hazuki asked. Then, she smirked. _Do you suffer from homophobia?_

_ No!_ Ryoma said firmly.

_Then?_ She received no answer. Hazuki stood and left the room, leaving her twin to contemplate his sexual orientation. In actuality, she wasn't sure about her twin's preference herself, but she had never known Ryoma to have a crush on _any_ girl. Then again, she had never known him to have a crush on _anyone_. Once she was in her room, she laid down on the bed. Now that she was alone, she could go back to her previous thoughts. She began to wonder if she actually liked Yagyuu. After all, she _had_ just met him. Maybe she only _thought_ she liked him because he had been her, well, 'knight in shining armor.' She sighed. She guessed she would just have to wait and see where life took her.

* * *

A/N: I'm sorry (again)! This chapter isn't really what I wanted it to be, but it's all I can do right now. The next chapter will be better!

Updates for my other stories are coming! I promise!

Reviews are much appreciated! (Oh, by the way, here's a question for my readers. Should Ryoma by homosexual or heterosexual?)


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